WTCC. 5th round. Brno
EXCITING VICTORY FOR THE SEAT REPSOL TEAM WITH GABRIELE
TARQUINI
The driver claimed the second race disputed at the Brno Circuit,
in the Czech Republic
Gabriele Tarquini claimed a magnificent victory today in the
tenth race of the WTCC, held today at the Brno Circuit, after
beating Alex Zanardi in a spectacular final by just three
tenths. Thanks to this victory and to the points scored, the
SEAT Sport Repsol team and Gabriele Tarquini maintain their
lead in the general classification, after a particularly difficult
weekend due to the weight of the León TDI's.
The SEAT Sport Repsol team was capable of adapting to the
circumstances, especially during the second race, and the
work of the team on the setup was fundamental in giving Tarquini
the victory. Yvan Muller scored points in both races, maintaining
second position in the general classification.
1st race
The SEAT Sport Repsol team drivers spent the whole race defending
their positions against their rivals in BMW, who with lighter
cars had little difficulty climbing positions. Tarquini and
Muller ran a defensive race finishing within the points range
after a tough final, where the tyres of the SEAT León
TDI's wore out faster due to the car's weight. Tiago Monteiro
was penalised due to a brush with another car at the start,
while Rydell and Gené stayed in a group without any
possibilities of climbing positions. The victory went to Alex
Zanardi.
2nd race
Muller and Tarquini got off to an excellent start, climbing
to the first two positions and resisting the first attacks
from James Thompson. Tarquini passed Muller during the second
lap, while Thompson could not keep up with the pace set by
the two SEAT cars, slowing the rest of the group down. Zanardi
emerged from this group, climbing to second place.
During the last laps Zanardi shortened the distance separating
him from Tarquini, starting the last lap right behind the
SEAT León TDI. In an exciting last lap, where both
cars even ran side by side for a moment, Tarquini managed
to keep his first place by only three tenths of a second.
Further back, Yvan Muller managed to score points, finishing
in sixth position.
Quotes
Gabrielle Tarquini >> 6th and 1st
“I hadn't even dreamt of scoring so many points and
taking a victory on this circuit, so suited to BMW and so
important.
It was a great day for me and the key to the race was a good
start, the help from Yvan Muller, and Thompson's struggle
with the BMW's.
Yvan Müller >> 8th and 6th
“Gabriele and the team have done a great job winning
in these conditions.
But with so much weight and on this track, finding the right
setup was difficult”.
Rickard Rydell >> 10tn and 18th
“The car performed well during the race, particularly
during the first one, but I didn't manage a good classification
during the qualifiers and had to struggle in a very tough
pack.
I hope to improve in Estoril”.
Tiago Monteiro >> 12th and 11th
“In the first race I hit a car that didn't brake properly.
During the second race, I was recovering positions when it
turned into a stock car race, with excessively aggressive
drivers”.
Jordi Gené >> 12th and 15th
“The weekend went very bad for me.
At least Gabriele's victory fixes things for the SEAT Sport
Repsol team, but we still don't have the right pace”.
Official results
>>First Race
1. Alessandro ZANARDI (BMW) 21:55.769
2. Félix PORTEIRO (BMW) at 0.825
3. Alain MENÚ (CHEVROLET) at 1,707
4. Augusto FARFUS (BMW) at 9.476
5. Jörg MÚLLER (BMW) at 12.184
6. Gabriele.TARQUINI (SEAT León TDI) at 15.840
8. Yvan MULLER (SEAT León TDI) at 17.577
10. Rickard RYDELL (SEAT León TDI) at 19.573
12. Tiago MONTEIRO (SEAT León TDI) at 30.246
13. Jordi GENÉé (SEAT León TDI) at 31.226
>> Second Race
1. Gabriele.TARQUINI (SEAT León TDI) 22:04.109
2. Alessandro ZANARDI (BMW) at 0.360
3. Robert HUFF (CHEVROLET) at 5.410
4. Augusto FARFUS (BMW) at 5.718
5. Félix PORTEIRO (BMW) at 8.192
6. Yvan MULLER (SEAT León TDI) at 11.931
11. Tiago MONTEIRO (SEAT León TDI) at 17.416
15. Jordi GENÉé (SEAT León TDI) at 25.633
18. Rickard RYDELL (SEAT León TDI) at 33.936
>> General Classification
1. Gabriele.TARQUINI (SEAT León TDI) 58 p.
2. Yvan MULLER (SEAT León TDI) 42 p.
3. Rickard RYDELL (SEAT León TDI) 37 p.
4. Robert HUFF (CHEVROLET) 33 p.
5. Andy PRIAULX (BMW) 33 p.
6. Jordi GENÉé (SEAT León TDI) 30 p.
13. Tiago MONTEIRO (SEAT León TDI) 12 p.
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